Chapter Nine
“I like your family,” Mia said on the way back to the ranch.
“They’re good people. Too bad one of us is missing out on seeing the newest Gallagher.”
She’d forgotten about his sister. Wyatt had told her a little about Glenna, including that she’d been missing for a while now and all the brothers were worried. “Still no word from the private detective?”
“Oh, there’s been word. None of it good. He’s run in to dead end after dead end.”
“I’m sorry, Wyatt. I know your sister’s disappearance is hard for you.”
“All of us miss her but Dylan’s taking it the hardest. They were closest in age, both of them several years younger than Jack, Sean and me. They’re also both ranchers. They love it.”
“Do you miss it?”
He glanced at her. “Ranching? Not really. It’s damn hard work. Which I’m reminded of every time Dylan ropes me into doing something like pitching hay off the truck in the middle of winter, or helping with worming or any of a thousand things that need doing on a horse farm.”
“I thought you liked horses.”
“I do. But I don’t like getting up at four in the morning and breaking ice, shoveling manure and crap like that.” He sighed. “Glenna did. She liked all of it.”
“Why did she leave?” She’d never asked him before. She’d always let him tell her as much or little about his sister as he wanted. But tonight he seemed to welcome talking about Glenna rather than the elephant in the room.
The baby.
“She and our dad had a huge fight and she took off. Next we heard from her she sent a letter from Argentina saying she was fine and working on a ranch there. Dylan said the fight was about the ranch but he wasn’t sure what the old man had done to make her leave like that. We found out when the will was read that he’d left Glenna’s portion of the ranch in trust until she ‘stopped all this foolishness and got married.’”
“Why would your father do that?”
“He didn’t think Glenna, or any woman, had what it took to be a rancher. A rancher’s wife, yes. But a rancher? No. She left to prove him wrong.”
“Did she?”
“She’d been working at, then managing a ranch in Argentina for a long time. Until a few months ago. Dylan found out she’d vanished after being accused of embezzlement. Nothing was proven but the accusation was enough to get her fired. By the time Dylan found out what had happened she’d been gone for months.” He glanced at her. “Glenna didn’t do it. The girl I knew couldn’t have changed that much.”
Mia reached over and covered his hand with hers. “I hope you hear good news soon.”
He turned his hand to lace his fingers with hers. “Thanks. I do too, but I’m not holding my breath.”
After pulling into the lane leading to the house, Wyatt put his truck in park and, still holding her hand, turned in his seat to face her. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I am too.”
“Jack’s baby and the wedding aren’t the only reasons I’m glad you’re here. They’re not even the main reasons.” His free hand was in her hair, his thumb brushed her mouth.
“What are those reasons?” she managed to say.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, her jaw, then claimed her mouth. “I’ve missed you, Mia. I want you...” He kissed her mouth again, so gentle yet so thorough. “I want to make love to you. More than I can say.”
“Wyatt—”
“Shh.” He kissed her once more then let her go. “Don’t answer me now. Let’s go inside.”
He got out of the SUV. Mia was so befuddled she simply sat there until he opened her door. They walked, holding hands, to the back door. He unlocked it and let her in. Silently, they walked up the stairs.
I shouldn’t. I really, really shouldn’t, she thought, standing outside her bedroom and looking up into his face. His blond hair fell over his forehead. His cheeks were stubbled, his eyes so blue, looking at her with desire, and a touch of humor. She wanted him. Would it be so terrible to make love with him?
It isn’t love for him. You know it isn’t.
He kissed her, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth, drawing hers out in answer, his lips firm, yet so soft. He kissed her like she’d been dreaming of, as if she were the only woman in his world, the only one he wanted. She wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms banded tight around her, holding her up when her legs would have given out.
And then he stopped.
“Think about us, Mia.”
He left, knowing damn well that Wyatt, and making love with him, would be the only things she could possibly think about until she saw him again.
Wyatt had to work the Sunday after the Christmas Stroll. Mia awoke to a note slipped under her door. Think about us. I am. W
That was it. Damn the man! How was she supposed to think of anything else?
Still in her PJs, flannel pants and a T-shirt, she wandered downstairs for coffee. She’d already entered the kitchen before she realized she was interrupting wedding planning. Honey sat at the kitchen table with an open laptop. Glory sat next to her looking at the screen. Sean stood nearby, wearing the hunted animal expression of a man who would do anything to be anywhere except where he was. They weren’t paying any attention to her, so she poured herself a mug of coffee and started to leave.
“Mia, wait,” Honey called out.
She stopped and turned around. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were having a—”
“Don’t apologize. We need help.”
“Okay.” Cautiously she walked over.
“We can’t decide what flowers to have for decorations.” Honey waved a hand at the computer. “There are too many choices. Sweet Pea Floral is taking care of the flowers. Sean and I are going to the shop tomorrow, but I wanted to have an idea before I go in. Since we have so little time, I want to finalize the flowers tomorrow.”
Mia walked behind her to look at the computer screen. There were several windows open, all with different flower varieties showing. “Do you have a color scheme in mind for the theme?”
Sean, who’d been silent up to now, groaned. “A theme? We have to have a theme?”
Honey gave him a pitying look. “Sean, I love you but I’m sure Dylan needs your help more than we do right now.”
His relief obvious, Sean kissed Honey and left quickly. “Just call me if you need me,” he said, clearly having no intention of returning.
As soon as he left, Honey and Glory burst out laughing. “Oh, my God,” Honey said. “I had no idea choosing flowers would be such an ordeal for him. Otherwise I’d never have brought him with me.”
“Dylan can always use the help,” Glory said. “No harm done. And now we can talk without Sean groaning and moaning every ten seconds.”
They all laughed, then Honey went back to the business at hand. “I know I want red and white roses. But beyond that I can’t decide.”
“Do you want red and white as the color scheme?”
“I think it would be pretty. But I’d like a variety of flowers. Maybe not for the bouquet, but for the other decorations.”
“I’ll leave you two girls to it,” Glory said as she rose. “I told Billy I’d cook him something special today and I’ve got to go to the store.”
“Thanks for helping me decide, Glory.”
She laughed and hugged Honey. “Well, I don’t think I was much help. Flowers aren’t my thing. Food is. You’re thinking about the menu, aren’t you? We need to talk about it soon.”
After Glory left Honey said, “I have no idea what to do about food. Glory is determined to make everything herself. The only thing Sean would say was to ask Glory if she could make her special roast beef. Of course she said yes. Sean seems to think that’s all he needs to do.”
“Are you having dinner after the wedding? I got the impression you weren’t.”
“No, just hors d’oeuvres and cake, but you’ve seen how Glory cooks. She says she’ll have the roast beef and a turkey sliced and ready to make mini sandwiches with rolls.”
“Yum. I’m hungry already.”
“To tell the truth, I think I just need to suggest a few things and let Glory run with it. Sean said I should cut her loose and let her do her thing.”
“Sounds like a great idea to me. I’m no expert but we should be able to find ideas for flowers and for food on the Internet.”
“I’ve looked a little, but it’s overwhelming. We’re only having family and a few close friends, but even so, we still have a lot to do and to decide.”
“I’d be happy to help do whatever you need. Don’t let me interfere with what you have planned with your friends and family, though.”
“Thanks, but you won’t be interfering, you’ll be saving me. My best friend, Martha, is my maid of honor, and Sean’s nieces, Carmen and Gina, are going to be bridesmaids. Tanner McTavish and her boyfriend, and Tucker McTavish, will be at the wedding, but they’re all involved in other things and aren’t available to help much.” She drew in a breath. “I lost my mom years ago. As for my dad—” she broke off then said, “Oh, hell, you might as well know. Everyone else does. My father’s in rehab so he won’t be here. Which is a good thing.”
She wants him at her wedding. No matter what she tells herself.
“My brothers will be here, though.”
“That’s good. Are you and your brothers close?”
“Yes. They’re great guys.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Mia said, feeling an immediate kinship. “I lost both my parents as a teenager.”
Honey grasped her hand. “Thank you. And I’m sorry for your loss too. That’s something else we have in common.”
Something else?
Mia must have looked puzzled because Honey added, “You know, besides Gallagher men.”
Mia smiled and nodded noncommittally, wishing it were that simple.
The two of them looked at the computer until Honey said her eyes were crossing. “But we’ve decided on the flowers, thank God.” She looked at Mia and said, “I don’t know what’s the matter with me. You haven’t had breakfast or even a chance to get dressed.”
“Why don’t we take a break and eat something? I’ll get dressed after that.”
“Glory left some coffee cake. Unless you’d rather cook something.”
“Coffee cake sounds good to me,” Mia said. “I don’t cook a lot.”
“I don’t cook at all,” Honey said, and laughed. “Another thing we have in common.”
Sean and Honey left shortly after that, but not before Mia and Honey made plans to go shopping in town the following day.
Mia spent the rest of the day in her room, painting. For the first time in a long time, she could paint exactly what she wanted to without having to please a client or even make sure something would sell. It had been so long since she’d painted for the sheer joy of it that she’d almost forgotten what it felt like.
Liberating. Fun. Her creativity ran wild, imagining what she might do. Aside from a few sketches she hadn’t had much time for art. Not that she couldn’t take time. After all, painting was one of the things Wyatt had bribed her with when he asked her to come. But she knew he had a lot to show her and, more importantly, she wanted to be with him. Since Wyatt was working, though, she had the rest of the day and night free to paint whatever struck her. She settled on a watercolor of the stream and waterfall that Wyatt had shown her. The snow, with its shadows and shades from white to grey. The river, the green and brown of the water, yet so clear she could see to the bottom.
The waterfall itself, the rushing water, the river stones piled at the bottom and forming a ridge at the top. She remembered the hawk and added him, swooping in for the kill. Graceful, beautiful and free, deadly for its prey. She painted late into the night, until, in happy exhaustion, she finally fell into bed in the pajamas she never changed out of.